Mutton Keema

My MIL's mutton keema. Piping hot rice with a dollop of ghee accompanied by a side of raw onion rings and lemon wedges. Followed by comforting tomato rasam. A Saturday lunch could't get any better.

"I don't measure, amma", says my MIL with a modest smile, "but a fistful should be fine" she adds reassuringly, looking at the raw keema in the pot and the bowl of chopped onions in my hands.

We spent three hours in the kitchen making my husband's favorite lunch, when my MIL first came to visit us a few years ago: mutton keema and tomato rasam. Instead of simply going with the flow she paused patiently at every step answering all my questions and allowing me to take measurements to write in my notebook.

This is a leisurely weekend recipe and is perfect for sharing with family and friends. Ground meat is pressure cooked first to make it tender and infuse with the warmth of ginger and garlic. It is then cooked again with onions and tomatoes and seasoned with aromatic spice mix, which lends the dish a balance of warmth and depth.

If you can't get your hands on ground goat or lamb meat, try this recipe with ground chicken or turkey, with the exact measurements.

If you are using frozen meat, make sure it thaws before pressure-cooking it. I usually transfer any meat from freezer to the refrigerator the night before.

A tip to save time is to start cooking the onions and tomatoes while the meat is being pressure cooked. This is a good time to multitask if you are like me and start a pot of tomato rasam on the side to enjoy with this dish later.

Also, after pressure cooking, ensure that you continue to cook until all the water evaporates and the keema turns crumbly before adding it to the onion tomato mixture. This recipe needs a bit of both love and patience :)

Enjoy this keema with piping hot rice or roti with a side of onions and lemon wedges. It pairs incredibly well with tomato rasam too! Have a hearty lunch with tons of laughter and fun with friends and family over this delicious, belly-filling, finger-licking lunch.

MUTTON KEEMA

Serves 4-5

Cook time 2.5 hrs

INGREDIENTS

minced meat (keema) 2 lbs

onions (large), diced 2

tomatoes, diced 2

green chillies, chopped 6

ginger garlic paste 9 tbsp

turmeric 1 tsp

salt to taste

oil 1/4 cup

cumin seeds 1 tsp

curry leaves 1 sprig

chilli powder 1 tbsp

garam masala 1 tsp

cilantro, chopped 4-5 sprigs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour water in a bowl and add a tsp of turmeric. Place keema in water and wash gently.

2. Transfer the washed keema into a pressure cooker or instant pot. Add salt, 5 tbsp of ginger garlic paste, turmeric and a cup of onions. Add 1/4 cup water and mix the ingredients well.

3. If using pressure cooker, cook for five whistles. If using instant pot, cook in meat mode and wait until pressure releases naturally.

4. After all the pressure is released, open the lid carefully. Transfer the cooker or the pot onto stovetop (or turn on the sauté mode of instant pot). Break any chunks of meat and cook until all the water evaporates, stirring in between, for about 25 min.

5. Meanwhile, take a wide pan and heat oil. (You can do this while the meat is pressure cooked)

6. Add cumin seeds and let them bloom. Add curry leaves and let them splutter. Add rest of the onions and cook until they turn transparent.

7. Add rest of the ginger garlic paste and fry on low flame until raw smell goes away.

8. Add tomatoes and chopped green chillies and fry until tomatoes turn mushy.

9. Add cooked keema mixture and fry it till it turns dry and crumbly over low-med, around 15-20 min.

10. Do a taste test, add salt if needed. Add chili powder, garam masala, fry for another 5 min.

11. Turn off the stove, add chopped cilantro and serve with ghee over piping hot rice, raw onion rings and lemon wedges!